Although the goals of European environmental protection agreements such as the 2050 long-term strategy or the green deal are very important, achieving climate neutrality in Europe by 2050 will only have a limited impact on mitigating climate change if other countries do not take similar measures. International agreements, such as the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals, are key to global action. (1)
The Paris Agreement
On December 12, 2015, the Paris Agreement was adopted at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21). It represents a milestone in combating climate change and adapting to its effects, as it is recognized as binding by all states of the world (2)(3).
The Paris Agreement sets out long-term goals that represent a guideline for all nations:
- Significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
– Limiting the global temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels
– Continue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (2)
– Limiting global warming to 1.5°C is only possible if greenhouse gas emissions peak by 2025 at the latest and fall by 43% by 2030 (3) - Evaluation of joint progress at regular intervals
- Provision of financial resources for developing countries to
– Mitigate climate change
– Strengthen resilience
– Improve the ability to adapt to climate impacts (2)
How it works
- On a five-year cycle, countries are required to submit increasingly ambitious climate action plans, each known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) (2)
- The NDCs serve as a document in which countries set out the measures they will take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, strengthen their resilience and adapt to the effects of climate change (3)
Mutual support between the countries
- Funding
– Industrialized countries are encouraged to provide financial support to countries with fewer resources
– Support of voluntary contributions from other Parties
– Need for substantial investments to significantly reduce emissions and adapt to the negative consequences of climate change
- Technology
– Development and transfer of technologies to improve resilience to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
– Technology framework that accelerates the technology development and transfer mechanism through its policy and implementation arms
- Capacity building
– not all developing countries have sufficient capacity to address the challenges of climate change
– Industrialized countries are called upon to increase support for climate-related capacity building measures in developing countries (3)
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is a global agreement concluded in 2021 to counteract the ongoing loss of biodiversity and promote the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity.
- The fundamental importance of biodiversity for human well-being and a healthy planet has been recognized
- food, medicine, energy, clean air and water, safety from natural disasters, recreation and cultural inspiration are all based on biodiversity
- Guidance for global policy and action on biodiversity in the next decade
- Stakeholders: governments, international organizations, civil society, indigenous peoples and local communities, the private sector and scientific and academic institutions
- Call on the United Nations General Assembly to monitor progress in implementing the Framework (4)
17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals form the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was recognized by all member states of the United Nations in 2015.
- common concept for peace and prosperity
- Urgent call for action as part of a global partnership to all industrialized and developing countries
- they state that the eradication of poverty and other disadvantages must go hand in hand with strategies to improve health and education, reduce inequality and boost economic growth
- at the same time, climate change must be tackled and oceans and forests must be protected (5)
Figure 1 shows the each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals individually.
References
(1) European Environment Agency. (2023). Sustainability challenges. European Environment Agency. youmatter. Sustainability – What Is It? Definition, Principles and Examples. https://youmatter.world/en/definition/definitions-sustainability-definition-examples-principles/
(2) United Nations. (o. J.). The Paris Agreement. United Nations: Climate Action. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/paris-agreement
(3) United Nations. (o. J.). The Paris Agreement. United Nations: Climate Change. https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement
(4) UN environment programme. (2022). Kunming-Montreal Global biodiversity framework. Convention On Biological Diversity. https://www.cbd.int/doc/c/e6d3/cd1d/daf663719a03902a9b116c34/cop-15-l-25-en.pdf
(5) United Nations. (o. J.). THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development. United Nations – Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development. https://sdgs.un.org/goals